Collegiate Baseball: Brigade fall to Keene Swamp Bat 3-2

The Barry University pitcher made his fourth start in the New England Collegiate Baseball League for Saratoga and still hasn't recorded a win, but has only been saddled with one loss.

On Thursday, the Brigade had more duds than they had fireworks off their bats, scoring just two runs for Benitez and falling to the Keene Swamp Bat 3-2 in 10 innings at East Side Rec.

Benitez struggled in his first two innings of work, giving up two runs on five hits before settling down in his final 4 2/3 innings of one-hit baseball.

"I wasn't really hitting my spots the first two innings I started hitting them better in the end," Benitez said. "As the game went on I felt more comfortable out there.

"I was missing inside, I was rushing too much. My catcher (Brian O'Keefe) went out there and told me I was rushing, so I stayed back a little bit longer and started throwing strikes."

After spotting Keene (5-11) a two-run lead, Saratoga (8-7) rallied around its starter with runs in the third and fifth innings.

Gage Green (Oklahoma State) led off with a single and came all the way around on three passed balls by Keene catcher Tommy Monnot (Kent State), to cut the lead in half in the third.

Green followed with a one-out walk in the fifth, advanced into scoring position on a double down the right field line and scored on a single by O'Keefe to knot the contest at two apiece.

The lead could have been more, but in both scoring innings, baserunning mistakes led to put outs with runners in scoring position on run downs.

"As well as we've been swinging the bats we've been struggling in those situations, guys on third, second and third with less than two outs," Saratoga Brigade manager Garrett Baron said. "I don't know if we're pressing in those situations or just a little bit of bad luck. Again, we had prime opportunities."

Benitez was lifted after 6 2/3 innings, giving up a pair of runs on seven hits without issuing a walk and striking out three batters. He finished with a no decision once again.

"He's had quality starts. In each of his starts he's taken a couple of innings to settle in," Baron said. "In college he wasn't a starter so it's maybe one of those things where he's getting used to it.

"He did settle in nicely and did pitch deep into the sixth for us. He did a great job... I just think he would like to see more consistency at the start."

With Benitez and Saratoga reliever Kevin Doherty (Virginia) handling the Swamp Bats later on, the Keene squad had one last trick up its sleeve in extra innings.

Keene's Zach Lauricella (St. Johns) led off with a single to left field, advanced on Robbie Cafiero's bunt single that stayed on the infield grass side of the third base line.

After a visit from Baron to the mound to talk to the infield about setting up the double play, Dylan Moore (Cypress College) showed bunt and then ripped an RBI single up the middle, driving in Lauricella for the go-ahead run.